Re: Rome tours

By no means is the THE. BEST. suggestion because I'm sure there are a million (and two) tours that can be taken in and through Rome. But one thing that I really enjoyed and thought worked well was doing the City Sightseeing (TM) Bus Tours on the first day (that last part is the key). What this does is allows you to roll through the city with a tour guide calling things out and you and your travel companions can turn to each other and say "oh, we gotta do that" - then go do that thing the later in the trip.

On the other hand, there is so much to see in Rome and it can be overwhelming and tiresome so it's also a good idea to have an itinerary. Just build in some flexibility so you can call it a day if you get tired.

sites that are must-sees (IMO):

- Trevi Fountain

- Pantheon

- Sistine Chapel (despite the hideous crowds)

- Castel Sant'Angelo (not much to see inside but it's not too expensive, provides a great "hike" and those who climb to the top are greeted with wonderful views)

Re: Rome tours

Last November we did several tours with Through Eternity - they were amazing were phenomenal in working with us to fit the tours into our schedule - we did VIP COLOSSEUM UNDERGROUND TOUR, THIRD TIER, ROMAN FORUM & PALATINE HILL, OSTIA ANTICA TOUR: INCREDIBLE PRESERVED ROME CITY PORT and ROME AT TWILIGHT TOUR AMONG THE PIAZZAS AND FOUNTAINS. We also had an excellent tour and experience with Walk of Italy on their Pridtine Sistine tour to see the Sistine Chapel first thing in the morning before it becomes super crowded. I would recommend both companies!

Re: Rome tours

I am not a fan of organized tour, but I had "free walking tour" in Rome and other cities in Europe and I throughly enjoyed it. There are a few "free walking tour" operators in Rome and you can easily find itinerary and detailed information by Googling. It says "free", but how it operates is you pay the guide "tip" at the end of the tour and the amount of "tip" is the amount you decide.

Re: Rome tours

I greatly enjoyed the Colosseum Underground and Third Tier tour. It's the only way to gain access to these areas that provide a unique perspective to the Colosseum. It doesn't cost that much more than a regular ticket and definitely worth the price. I did the Spanish tour because English was sold out and even though I didn't understand half of what the tour guide was saying, it was worth it.

Rick Steve's audio guide is also pretty good if you like to solo explore on your own time frame.

Re: Rome tours

I've been to Rome many times and while I did day or half-days tours the first couple of times, I soon found it's a very walkable city (not as much nowadays with my bad joints, but great if you like walking). I stayed at the Grand Flora at the top of the Via Veneto once and asked the concierge how to walk to the Vatican. He looked at my in horror and told me it was impossible. NOT. I did get totally lost at the spokes of the hub in the Capitoline, but in the process of taking every road EXCEPT the one that led across the Tiber. But in the process I discovered the Mamertine Prison, which according to (probably false) legend was the last prison of St. Peter. Even if it wasn't, it's from the time period. I also found some jewels of churches never mentioned in any guidebooks. Finally I got to the Vatican just in time to attend mass (which hadn't been my original intention).

As for special things to do in Rome, I strongly suggest spending time in Trastevere. It's one of the oldest parts of the city with some incredibly beautiful buildings and churches from around the 3rd and 4th C. (Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Cecilia, San Bartolomeo), great places to eat that don't necessarily have any names on their establishments, etc.

A visit to the Palatine Hill (except in summer) is always special, but now make sure to visit both the Casa di Livia and the Casa di Augusto.

Great day trips are to Hadrian's Villa and the Tivoli Gardens; Viterbo; Ostia Antica (the port of Rome, which is like a little Pompeii); the Catacombs (though traffic is a huge problem -- be sure to read the guidebooks for when and where to go).